14 Apr 5 tips to help you prepare for your digital detox
Summer is just around the corner, which means it’s peak time for a digital detox retreat. We’re guessing you either have a retreat booked up and are getting ready to go within the next couple of months, or you’re currently trying to decide if you should bite the bullet and finally the book that retreat you’ve been looking at since the new year.
At Time To Log Off, we understand that the thought of locking away all things tech for a whole week sounds like a very scary experience, but fear not, we’re here to help. We’ve got five tips to help you prepare for your digital detox, just to make the journey into a tech-free week a little easier.
The first thing that happens at a digital detox retreat is the handing in of all digital gadgets. Although we’re going to help you prepare for this and ease you into the process, you’ll probably be fine. Digital detox retreats are packed with activities and you’ll soon forget about your phone. In the days leading up to your departure try to;
#1 Swap night time TV for a mindful activity
Most of us get home from work, grab dinner and then spend time slumped in front of the TV.
At a digital detox retreat, this daily screen-based habit will be replaced with mindful activities. From energising yoga classes to guided walks and bike rides your day will be packed with activities that will leave you feeling great.
To reduce tech time pre-retreat, try taking up a yoga class, bike riding or going for a walk in the evening after walk and cutting out your TV time.
#2 Start a sleep journal
Starting a sleep journal is the perfect way to compare how your digital detox has improved your sleep. In your day-to-day life, overuse of technology and stressful lifestyle can result in you not sleeping as well as you could. A digital detox encourages you to be mindful, put down all tech and connect with the real world, and having no digital screens just before bedtime will definitely lead to you having a better nights sleep.
#3 Reduce tech out of work hours
We understand when you’re in the office you can’t be tech-free – it would be inefficient and incomprehensible to even try – but when you leave work, try and leave your computer and smartphone behind.
One of the most common questions we get asked by our guests is ‘Can I still check my work emails on the retreat?’ Well, no you can’t!
Being constantly available at work could lead to digital burnout and we think it is important to shed light on the fact that stepping away from work after office hours will make you more productive in the long run.
#4 Eat your lunch in a park
Who wants to eat their lunch al-desko when they can eat it al-fresco? Stepping outside of the office and eating your lunch in a park will give you a break from your screen and allow you to be refreshed by nature.
This will leave you feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the rest of the day and it will give you a taster of how really rejuvenating being outdoors can be, handy for our digital detox retreats when we spend as much time outside in the Italian sunshine or on the Hawaiian beach as possible.
#5 Ban your smartphone from your bedroom
On a retreat, there will be no scrolling through twitter before bed or endlessly snoozing your alarm each morning. Sleeping without your phone in the bedroom is proven to improve your sleep and focus.
By resolving to leave your phone out of your bedroom in the days leading up to your retreat you will get into the routine of doing something more productive with your time, such as reading a book before bed. And you’ll sleep like a log.
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